Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel writing
Nation’s Largest Orchid Show
By Linda Tancs
In Chinese culture, the orchid has long been a symbol of refinement and nobility. No doubt its beauty and enchanting nature is reason enough why orchid cultivation has blossomed into an international industry. In the United States, the largest orchid exhibition is taking place through 22 April at the New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Show. The curated show sports a mother lode of exotic orchids in every shape, size and color imaginable. Of course, there will be orchids for sale, along with care demonstrations, mood music and cocktail evenings among the blooms.
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Two to Tango
By Linda Tancs
In Buenos Aires, Argentina you can shake off the winter blahs (and those chilly temperatures accompanying many parts of the globe) at the annual tango festival now through 16 March. Originally the dance of poor dockworkers, the popularity of the tango is evident in the number of worldwide festivals honoring this steamy Latin dance. So why not go back to the source and experience its flavor and flair for yourself in the city that made it famous. Rhythmically challenged or not, there are dance lessons, as well as exhibitions, concerts and dancing displays.
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Treasures from the Sea
By Linda Tancs
If seashell collecting seems as thrilling as watching paint dry, then you haven’t been to Sanibel Island, Florida. The island’s east/west orientation brings a plethora of colorful shells ashore from the Gulf of Mexico. This is where shell collecting is elevated to an art form. There’s even an annual shell fair and show. Taking place this weekend at the Community Center, the indoor/outdoor event features 250 shells, some elusive, as well as masterful works of shell art at the exhibition.
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A Traveling Sisterhood
By Linda Tancs
Lunafest is a traveling film festival by, for and about women. This year’s collection of nine films explores topics as diverse as chemotherapy, break-ups, shyness and gymnastics training. Over 150 locations will participate in this event through June. Find one near you.
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Train Tickets Simplified
By Linda Tancs
Individual tickets or railpass? Advance or same-day purchase? How do you find the cheapest ticket? Sometimes, the terms and conditions for international train travel can leave you dazed and confused. That’s where the helpful advice of The Man in Seat 61 comes to the rescue. Whether you’re interested in UK or continental Europe train travel, The Man has all the answers to demystify the ticket purchasing process. Seat 61, by the way, is his favorite first-class seat on the Eurostar.
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The Little Airport That Could
By Linda Tancs
Can you name a place where such luminaries as Amelia Earhart, General James Doolittle, several U.S. Presidents, Elton John, Diana Ross, Harrison Ford and Shania Twain would have gathered (not all at the same time, of course)? The answer is Trenton Mercer Airport in Trenton, New Jersey. Opened in 1929, the county airport averages 100,000 take-offs and landings each year, including flights to Florida. Its illustrious history includes a role in the production of the WWII Avenger torpedo bomber. Less than five minutes from the terminal building, the parking facilities are reasonably priced. The parking lot can be accessed from either airport entrance (Scotch Road or Bear Tavern Road) directly in front of the terminal.
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The Hottest Show on Earth
By Linda Tancs
Now in its 25th year, the National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show is taking place this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Sandia Resort & Casino. The most visited show on the subject of spicy foods and barbecue, you’ll likely never see a bigger array of the country’s spicy sauces, marinades, salsas amd mustards. And you can be sure that palates will burn particularly bright during this anniversary year.
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A Russian Wonder
By Linda Tancs
Of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, only the pyramids of Giza still stand. If you can’t manage a trip to Egypt, then the next best thing might be Russia’s wonder: a 55-ton pyramid outside Moscow. Built of fiberglass, the 144-feet-high structure is the largest pyramid across Russia. Regardless whether you believe in the power of pyramids, it’s a site to behold in perhaps one of the unlikeliest of places.
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World’s Largest Hotel Comparison Site
By Linda Tancs
Trivago bills itself as the world’s largest hotel comparison site. With more than 18 million monthly users, the site allows you to compare prices at dozens of booking engines for over 600,000 hotels worldwide. Add to that millions of hotel reviews and photos and you have a comprehensive search engine to find the perfect respite.
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The Battle for Kentucky
By Linda Tancs
Prior to becoming President of the United States, James A. Garfield was a colonel during the Civil War who led the Union soldiers in battle against the Confederates in eastern Kentucky. Middle Creek National Battlefield in Prestonsburg commemorates the battle for Kentucky, the Union’s ninth most populous state. The interpretive experience at this historic site includes Confederate and Union loop trails with signage and a four-mile auto tour stopping at Graveyard Point, former site of Garfield Place,
May House and the former site of the May House Grist Mill.
